Cool Air, Hot Takes

Is decarbonization the biggest challenge or the biggest opportunity for the HVAC industry?

In this episode of Cool Air, Hot Takes, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry are joined by Molly Dee-Ramasamy, Director of Deep Carbon Reduction at JB&B, to unpack what decarbonization really means for buildings, systems, and the people designing them. From electrification and grid impacts to policy shifts and heat recovery, they dive into what’s changing, what’s working, and what HVAC pros need to know to stay ahead.

We also discuss:

• HVAC Headlines: The EPA reconsiders key refrigerant phase-out rules under the AIM Act, and new research finds poor restroom ventilation can increase exposure to airborne bacteria like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus… designers, take note.
• Is It Hot or Cold: Charlie and Dan bring back Hot or Cold, but this time, the decarb edition!
• Stat of the Day: Top performing S&P 500 stocks over the last 20 years. Can you do better than Dan?

Got a hot take, question, or rant? Let us know! Leave us a comment on Spotify or Youtube, a review on Apple Podcasts or you can also email us at [email protected].

Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes, fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show. 

Cool Air, Hot Takes is a Trane Commercial podcast exploring bold innovations, emerging trends, and game-changing technology in HVAC and energy management. Learn more about the show here.

Follow and stream all episodes now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Is AI really the future of HVAC, or just industry hype?

In this episode of Cool Air, Hot Takes, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry talk with Jean-Simon Venne, CTO and co-founder of BrainBox AI, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping HVAC systems. They explore real-world ways AI boosts energy efficiency, enhances preventative maintenance, improves indoor air quality, and helps buildings reduce their carbon footprint.

We also discuss:

• HVAC Headlines: Boston announces new net-zero emissions requirements, mandating that most large buildings achieve net-zero carbon from day one starting in 2025.
• AI & HVAC: What’s actually achievable when buildings embrace AI and the future of HVAC careers in an AI-driven world
• Stat of the Day: Dubai’s Business Bay District chilled water plant - how much cooling do you think it delivers?

Got a hot take, question, or your own AI predictions? Email us at [email protected] - we’d love to hear from you! You can also leave a comment on Spotify and Youtube, or a review on Apple Podcasts.

Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes, fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show. 

Cool Air, Hot Takes is a Trane Commercial podcast exploring bold innovations, emerging trends, and game-changing technology in HVAC and energy management. To learn more about the show, check us out here.

Follow and stream all episodes now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What’s the real story behind AC refrigerants? Why are some being phased out, others destroyed, and what does it mean for the HVAC industry?

In this episode of Cool Air, Hot Takes, Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry sit down with Ray Rieling from Tradewater to talk about refrigerants - the good, the bad, and the banned. From legacy refrigerants like R-22 to the controversial future of HFC refrigerant destruction, they break down the impact on climate control, system design, and HVAC sustainability. Plus, the team hears your refrigeRANTS - should we get rid of them entirely? Should we bring R-22 back? And what’s the deal with New York’s aggressive refrigerant phase-out?

Cool Air, Hot Takes is a Trane podcast that breaks down the biggest innovations in HVAC, energy, and building technology with bold opinions, and lots of hot takes.

In this episode, we cover:

• HVAC Headlines: A refrigerant Ponzi scheme in St Louis and how DeepSeek AI is raising questions around the future of data center energy demand.
• Why refrigerant destruction matters and how it affects HVAC pros
• How refrigerants are phased out and what comes next
• The biggest challenges in refrigerant recovery, reclamation, and disposal
• The refrigerants still sitting in old systems - ticking time bombs or just good inventory?
• The push for ultra-low GWP refrigerants and what’s really viable

Got a hot take, question or rant? Send them to [email protected] and check out the show page here.

Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes, fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show. 

Follow and stream all episodes now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How is air conditioner compressor and bearing technology evolving? And is the HVAC industry ready for what’s next?

In this episode, hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry sit down with Joe Heger, Centrifugal Mechanical Engineering Leader at Trane, to break down the past, present and future of AC compressor and bearing technology. They discuss how these advancements are improving performance, reliability, and efficiency, and what HVAC pros need to know as the industry shifts toward electrification and decarbonization.

Cool Air, Hot Takes is a Trane podcast that breaks down the biggest innovations in HVAC, energy, and building technology with bold opinions, and lots of hot takes.

In this episode we cover:

• HVAC Headlines - The latest grid emissions data reveals the cleanest and dirtiest U.S. power grids, and the world’s first grid-scale nuclear fusion power plant has been announced - what does it mean for the future of energy and HVAC?
• Why centrifugal compressors are pushing into new capacity ranges
• The real difference between magnetic, roller, and gas bearings
• How electrification is changing compressor design

Plus, Charlie and Dan discuss Project Stargate, heat recovery from data centers, and why the U.S. dominates the global data center market.

Got a rant, hot take, or HVAC job site story? Send it to [email protected] - we'd love to hear from you!

Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes, fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show. 

Check out our show page here for more info!

Follow and stream all episodes now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to the very first episode of Cool Air, Hot Takes, the podcast that keeps HVAC pros ahead of the curve with the latest industry insights, trends, and of course a hot take or two. 

Hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry - HVAC experts with over 30 years of experience between them and a friendship dating back to middle school - kick things off with their hottest takes on where the industry is heading. Geothermal? Getting big. CO₂ refrigerants? Gaining traction. Residential cold climate heat pumps? A game-changer.

In this episode, we cover:

• HVAC industry headlines – A startup tackling building electrification, and the most (and least) lucrative states for HVAC techs.
•  Venture Capital in HVAC – We sit down with Jon Horne, Managing Director at Idea Fund, to break down how venture capital money is shaping the industry. Where do the best HVAC startup ideas come from? How do investors decide what’s worth betting on? And why is now the most disruptive time HVAC has seen in decades?
• Hot or Cold? – AHR Expo Innovation Awards edition! Are stainless steel boilers really that innovative? Is CO₂ the refrigerant of the future? And what’s the deal with LG’s cold climate heat pump?

Got a hot take? A funny job site story? A new tool saving you time and money? We want to hear it! Email us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured. To learn more about the show, check us out here.

Take our survey: We love making Cool Air, Hot Takes™, but we want to make sure you love listening to it. Head to podpolls.com/hottakes, fill out our quick listener survey, and give us your hottest takes about the show. 

If you liked the show, hit follow, rate, and review wherever you get your podcasts. Until next time, stay cool, and keep those takes hot. 

Welcome to Cool Air, Hot Takes, the podcast where we break down the biggest innovations in HVAC, energy, and building technology with bold opinions, expert insights, and lots of hot takes.

Join hosts Charlie Jelen and Dan Gentry, two HVAC pros with over 30 years of combined experience, as they tackle the hottest trends, smartest tech, and boldest ideas shaping the future of heating, cooling, and ventilation. From AI-powered HVAC systems to the rise of heat pumps and refrigerant phase-outs, we’re diving into the conversations that matter to engineers and energy professionals across the biz. 

Brought to you by Trane Commercial, part of Trane Technologies, a leading provider of innovative climate control solutions and energy services tailored for commercial environments. 

Hit follow and get ready for the hottest takes in HVAC.